


Poachers

by Ezn



Category: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Genre: Dream Valley, Dreams, Flash Fic, Gen, Original Character - Freeform, griffons
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-14
Updated: 2013-01-14
Packaged: 2017-11-25 11:41:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 790
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/638525
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ezn/pseuds/Ezn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Deep in Dream Valley, Rarity must her gem-locating spell to commit a crime she does not understand.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Poachers

**Author's Note:**

> Originally written for the /fic/ mini write-off event The Price of a Dream. Thanks to Pascoite, alexmagnet, Pav Feira, Ion-Sturm and anyone else I've forgotten for all the feedback.

Deep in the colourful rolling mists of Dream Valley, Gonzo the Griffon and I sat with our backs to a rock and plotted our course. That we had waited until this late moment to do so perturbed me greatly, but he was in the one in charge.

"Now here's what we're gonna do, dollface," he said, smirking. "You're gonna use that pretty little horn of yours to light up some of them gems under that there ground, so we all can see them all clear-like. As I explained before, the little critters love gems. A nice light show'll bring them here in droves."

I shivered at the tone of his voice, but nodded my compliance. "And if I do what you ask, then you'll let my sister go free?"

"I guarantee it, little lady."

There was no worth in his guarantees, but having one was better than having nothing. "Very well then."

My shaking forehooves clasped the top of the rock we stood behind, and I peered at what little ground I could see through the mists. There was a patch of bare earth just ahead of us, and even before my spell was cast, something deep inside me already knew of the gems buried beneath it.

I took a few deep, measured breaths, calming myself and focusing my energy in the way my mother taught me. My horn glowed with its gem-locating spell, and soon the earth before me was alight with the brilliant reds, greens and blues beneath it.

"Good, good," I heard Gonzo say behind me. "Our little friends should be here any moment now."

Eyes peeled, I focused on the glowing ground.

"Any moment now. Keep the magic steady."

A current of mist drifted over the glowing ground, and then something quite peculiar happened: the current seemed to break off from the rest of the mist and hover for a moment as a lonely cloud. It grew more and more opaque, and its hazy edges became defined. The mist drifted down to the ground and took the form of a little round creature with four stubby legs. It hopped animatedly around the glow beneath it. I swear I could hear it whooping and chirruping.

"Excellent. An grade-A for sure." In the corner of my vision, Gonzo's wings unfurled. He clutched a fine net between his talons. "Three... two... one..."

With astounding speed, Gonzo leapt into the air and pounced, his net ensnaring the helpless little creature between my startled blinks. It yelped for an instant before falling silent.

The creature hadn't any eyes, but it felt like its back was staring right at me, with my glowing horn and wide-eyed stare. I shivered.

Gonzo stuffed the net in a pack on his back before grabbing my forehoof with a rough talon. "Mission accomplished. Now we go."

With a mighty flap of his wings, Gonzo lifted up into the sky, muffling my screams with his other talon.

***

Sweetie Belle had been under a sleep spell the entire time. The poor dear woke up in her own bed the next morning, completely unaware of what she had been through. When she looked at the calendar, she wondered at having missed two days, but I told her she was just being silly. I don't think I was very convincing.

I was relieved that Gonzo had kept his word. Neither he nor his associates had laid a talon or a hoof on Sweetie Belle, and they released her once I had fulfilled the task given to me.

Still, a criminal is a criminal. Gonzo had the nerve to offer me a position as his full-time partner. He just chuckled when I didn't even dignify such a request with a response.

The little creature from Dream Valley was sold to a pair of shady unicorns in dark suits and even darker glasses, probably for an exorbitant fee. I try not to think about the part I've played in all of this. At least Sweetie is safe.

I told Twilight and the others all about the whole ordeal as soon as I was free, of course. They were absolutely incensed – Rainbow Dash wants to hunt Gonzo down and buck his beak skew. Twilight recommended I go to the police, and I did. They're searching for Gonzo and his people, but nothing's turned up yet.

I'm scared that if something does, he'll come back for me. I keep seeing him around town, lurking in the shadows, but he disappears as soon as I blink. He can't be in Ponyville anymore – I'm quite certain he's long gone by now.

It's probably just the sleep deprivation. I haven't been able to sleep a wink since I helped captured that little mist creature in Dream Valley.


End file.
